Paper towel holder

ABSTRACT

The apparatus for dispensing paper towels from a roll includes a base member, an offset flange member and a rod member. The base member can have an actuatable suction cup on a bottom surface. The flange member has a base portion and a mounting portion made integral at a bend, such that the portions are angled to each other. Attaching the base portion to the base member forms an angled surface by the mounting portion such that a downward pulling action dispenses paper towels from the roll. The rod member extends orthogonally from the angled surface and over the base member so that the roll is stably supported at the angle set by the angled surface and the base member. There can be a holding device to maintain position of the roll relative to the rod member and a shield on the top end of the angled surface.

RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a holder for paper towels. More particularly, the present invention relates to paper towel holder for more efficient and precise release of an individual towel from a roll of paper towels.

2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.

A paper towel is a type of cleaning device. The paper towel is a textile of paper, not cloth, with absorbent properties. The paper towel is disposable and intended for one time use. Water and other liquids and substance soak into the paper for removal and cleaning of a surface. The woven fibers of the paper hold the liquid. Paper towels have been packaged individually, similar to napkins, but the most common storage is wrapping connected paper towels around a tube to form a roll of paper towels. The paper towels are connected end to end to adjacent towels. Perforations separate individual towels, such that a pulling force can separate adjacent towels by tearing the paper material between the perforations. The perforations are arranged in a string line from one edge to the other edge of the paper towel.

Paper towels are dispensed for use by separating an individual towel from the roll. The separation must be easy and quick for efficient access because the towels are disposable and only used once. Dispensing must be available for users of all strengths and coordination.

The prior art systems of paper towel holders are either horizontal or vertical. The horizontal holders are mounted underneath cabinets and shelves so that the holder is suspended in the air. The roll of paper towels is supported by two end supports, which allow the roll to rotate as paper towels are pulled off the roll. A user pulls downward on the end towel, and the perforations tear in the horizontal direction. Not all perforations receive the same amount of force, so uneven tearing is a common problem. The vertical holders are posted that insert into the roll of paper towels. The roll is supported in an upright position so that the roll can rotate as the paper towels are dispensed laterally. A lateral force pulls the perforation apart to release the end towel from the roll. In prior art systems, the force may not only be lateral, so uneven downward force is applied to perforated areas at the top edge of the towel. These forces may compress the towel at the perforations for uneven tearing and bunching of the towel.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an embodiment of an apparatus for dispensing paper towels from a roll with efficiency.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an embodiment of an apparatus with an angled surface to insure clean tearing of paper towels.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an embodiment of an apparatus with an angled surface to dispense paper towels without partial remnants of previously dispensed towels.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an embodiment of an apparatus with an angled surface to prevent bunching and compression of the towels being dispensed.

It is still an object of the present invention to provide an embodiment of an apparatus for dispensing paper towels from a roll, wherein a downward pulling action of the user is properly controlled without uneven force and without excess compression.

It is still an object of the present invention to provide an embodiment of an apparatus for dispensing paper towels from a roll to avoid the problems of strictly horizontal orientation of the roll.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an embodiment of an apparatus for dispensing paper towels from a roll to avoid the problems of strictly vertical orientation of the roll.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an embodiment of an apparatus for dispensing paper towels at a stable and consistent angle.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an embodiment of an apparatus with attachments to prevent shifting of the roll on the rod member.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an embodiment of an apparatus with attachments to prevent unraveling of the towels from the roll.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an embodiment of an apparatus for dispensing paper towels from a roll, being maintained for at a stable angle for the focused and dispersed downward pulling action on the towels to be dispensed.

These and other objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specifications and appended claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the apparatus for dispensing paper towels from a roll, according to the present invention, include a base member, a flange member, and a rod member. The base member has a top surface and a bottom surface. The flange member has a base portion and a mounting portion, wherein the portions are made integral at a bend, forming an angle relative to each other. The base portion attaches flush to the top surface of the base member, so that the mounting portion forms an angled surface. The angled surface allows dispensing paper towels from the roll in a downward pulling action. The downward pulling action is the most efficient method of cleanly tearing each paper towel from the roll of paper towels. There are fewer partial tears and decreased bunching of towels on the roll after one towel is removed.

The flange member can attach to a periphery of the base member so that the rod member extends over a center of the base member for stability when a downward force is exerted on the roll of paper towels. Generally, the flange member aligns the rod member over the base member for the stability. The angled surface of the mounting portion has a range of 5 to 60 degrees from vertical. The rod member extends orthogonally from the angled surface at a distance from the bend so that the roll fits on the rod member The roll is supported on the rod member so that the roll is angled at the same angle as the angled top surface. The rod member is an extension of the angled surface of the mounting portion so that paper towels are dispensed at an angle, unlike prior art strictly horizontal or strictly vertical devices.

Some embodiments of the present invention include an apparatus with a holding means. The holding means maintains the roll relative to the rod member during a downward pulling action. The holding means is mounted on the rod member, so the holding means is supported at the same angle as the rod member. In some embodiments, the holding means can be a flexible and resilient spring or flexible and resilient ribs. The holding means can extend along a length of the rod member for stable support of the roll on the rod member. The spring or ribs engage an interior of the roll, which prevents the roll from moving unevenly during a downward pulling action. The set angle is used instead of a distorted angle caused by shifting of the roll on the rod member.

Other embodiments of the present invention include an apparatus with a shielding means. The shielding means at least partially covers the paper towels on the roll, when the roll is placed on the rod member. The shielding means affixes to the angled top surface at a top end of the angled top surface so that the shielding means is positioned above the roll on the rod member. The shielding means is parallel to the rod member and spaced apart from the rod member so as to fit the roll and paper towels between the shielding means and the rod member. In some embodiments, the shielding means is a post member parallel to the rod member or a panel with an elongated shape and width so as to partially cover the roll and paper towels when mounted on the rod member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the apparatus for dispensing paper towels from a roll according to the present invention, showing the angled surface of the mounting portion.

FIG. 2 is another schematic view of an embodiment of the apparatus for dispensing paper towels from a roll according to the present invention with a shielding means and rod member at a different angle.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the apparatus for dispensing paper towels from a roll according to the present invention with another shielding means and rod member at a different angle.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an alternative embodiment of the apparatus for dispensing paper towels from a roll with a holding means attachment.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the apparatus for dispensing paper towels, showing a suction cup in the base member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to FIGS. 1-5, embodiments of the present invention include an apparatus 10 for dispensing paper towels 12 from a roll 14. The paper towels 12 are connected to each other through perforations, which are torn for separation from an adjacent towel 12 at the time of use. The paper towels 12 are stored on a roll 14, wherein the towels 12 are wrapped around the roll 14, usually comprised of a cardboard tube. The interior of the roll 14 or tube is mounted to set the position of the towels 12 for dispensing. Embodiments of the present invention include an apparatus 10 with a base member 16, flange member 18, and a rod member 20. The base member 16 has a top surface 22 and a bottom surface 24 for placement on a level surface. The bottom surface 24 on the base member 16 creates a stable grounding of the apparatus 10 for when the downward pulling action is applied to the towels 12 on the roll 14. Various anti-skid attachments and various shapes of the base member 16 can be used in the present invention.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the flange member 18 is comprised of a base portion 40 and a mounting portion 42. The base portion 40 is made integral with the mounting portion 42 at a bend 48, so that the base portion 40 is angled from the mounting portion 42. As shown in FIGS. 1-5, the base portion 40 is attached to a top surface 22. The mounting portion 42 forms an angled surface 44. Paper towels 12 are dispensed from the roll 14 in a downward pulling action.

Embodiments of the apparatus 10 also include a rod member 20, extending orthogonal from the angled surface 44, such that the angle 46 set by the angled surface 44 is the same for the rod member 20 and the roll 14. In some embodiments, the range of the angled surface 44 is 5 to 60 degrees from vertical. The rod member 20 can be a shaft made of various materials, such as wood or plastic. The shaft can have a circular cross-section or any polygonal shape.

The rod member 20 supports the roll 14 with sufficient strength to withstand the downward pulling action on the towels 12. In some embodiments, the flange member 18 attaches to a periphery of the base member 16 so that the rod member 20 extends over the center of the base member 16 for stability. The rod member 20 is aligned over the base member 16 for even balance without a pulling force on the paper towels 12. The rod member 20 may be a post or shaft fixedly attached at a proximal end to the angled top surface 18. The mounting portion 44 has a center point 50 at a distance apart from the bend 48, and the rod member 20 attaches to the mounting portion 44 at the center point 50. The center point 50 is aligned with an axis of the rod member 20 so that the rod member 20 extends across a center of the base member 16. The distance between the center point 50 and the bend 48 are sufficient to fit the roll 14 of paper towels 12. In the embodiments of FIGS. 1-5, the base portion 40 is placed adjacent an edge of the base member 16, while the rod member 20 can extend over the center of the base member 16, while on the center point of angled surface 44 of the mounting portion 42.

Embodiments show the rod member 20 extending outward from the angled surface 44 at a right angle so that the angle 46 of the angled surface 44 corresponds to the rod member 20. Consequently, the roll 14 is also positioned at the angle 46. Towels 12 are torn from the roll 14 at that angle 46 using the downward pulling action. The angle 46 creates the most efficient tearing of the towel 12 because the downward pulling action in combination with the angle 46 prevents partial tears, and bunching of the towel 12. The combination insures that the tearing starts at a top end of the towel 12 perforation so that the downward pulling action is focused at an angled top edge of the perforation of the towel.

When there is no angle, the downward pulling action is dispersed across all perforations in a horizontal mounting. The tears are uneven because the horizontal perforations are resisting the downward pulling action depending upon how the towel 12 is gripped. The horizontal mounting will result in partial tears. Alternatively, when there is no angle, the downward pulling action is solely focused on the perforation at the top end of the towel 12. A strong pulling action focused on one perforation is too much, and the towel 12 is too quickly ripped. A partial tear from the top of the towel 12 is possible. Additionally, there is a risk of bunching, when the downward pulling action compresses the towel 12 vertically so that towel 12 is more resistant to tearing. The perforations are stacked so that multiple perforations resist tearing together, resulting in uneven tearing when the downward pulling action is insufficient to overcome multiple perforations.

In the present invention, the angled top edge of the towel 12 is created by the angled surface 44 and rod member 20 of the apparatus 10. The angled top edge controls the downward pulling force to start at the top perforation, but not only on the top perforation. The downward pulling action is dispersed across the perforations at the top edge of the towel 12, so that the present invention avoids the uneven pulling force of the horizontal mounting across all perforations all at once and the compression of the towel 12 of the vertical mounting on one perforation at a time.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the present invention with a base member 16 with the top surface 22 and the bottom surface 24. The base member 16 sits so that the bottom surface 24 is grounded on a level surface, such as a kitchen counter. FIG. 5 shows an embodiment with a suction means 52 on the bottom surface 24. The suction means 52 is centered on the base member 24 for the most stability. Embodiments show the suction means 52 comprised of a suction cup 54 and a stem 56. The stem 56 extends through a hole 58 in the base member 16 from the bottom surface 24 to the top surface 22. The stem 56 can also have a lever 58 or push button or switch on an end of the stem 56 above the top surface 22. The lever actuates the suction cup 54. Center mount location of the suction means 52, including the stem 56, is enabled by the particular structures of the present invention. Other prior art devices have the rod member on the center of the base member, so that center mounts on the bottom surface of the base member is not possible. The present invention with the offset flange member 18 is able to have a suction means 52 in the most stable center position and actuation.

Embodiments of the present invention include an apparatus 10 with a holding means 26 mounted on the rod member 20, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The holding means 26 is an attachment to maintain the roll 14 relative to the rod member 20 during a downward pulling action. These embodiments further reduce the uneven pulling force and the compression of the towel 12. The roll 14 does not shift during the downward pulling action to change the angle of the roll 14 formed by the rod member 20 and the angled top surface 18. The angle 46 is maintained stable, instead of changing dependent upon the size of the interior of the tube of the roll 14 and the amount of towel 12 torn. The holding means 26 makes the dispensing of the towel more regular and even. In some embodiments, the holding means 26 can be a flexible and resilient spring 28 (FIG. 4) or a plurality of flexible and resilient ribs 30 (FIG. 3). The holding means 26, either the spring 28 or the ribs 30, extends along a length of the rod member 20. The spring 28 or the ribs 30 engage an interior of the roll 14, such as the inside of the tube of a roll 14. The roll 14 is held in place relative to the rod member 20 by the structures of the holding means 26.

Other embodiments of the present invention include an apparatus 10 with a shielding means 32 affixed to the angled surface 44 of the mounting portion 42, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The shielding means 32 is placed on a top end 34 of the mounting portion 42 of the flange member 18 and above the rod member 20. The shielding means 32 protects the towels 12 on the outside of the roll 14 from splatters and stains. The shielding means 32 can also prevent the towels 12 from unraveling from the roll 14, holding the towel 12 to be dispensed in a convenient position. In some embodiments, the shielding means 32 is parallel to the rod member 20 and spaced apart from the rod member 20 so as to fit the roll 14 and paper towels 12 between the shielding means 26 and the rod member 20. Versions of the shielding means 32 of the present invention include a post member (FIG. 2) parallel to the rod member 20 and a panel (FIG. 3) with an elongated shape and width so as to partially cover the roll 14 and paper towels 12 when mounted on the rod member 20.

The present invention provides embodiments of an apparatus for dispensing paper towels from a roll with efficiency. The apparatus with the angled surface insures clean tears of the towels without partial remnants of previously dispensed towels. The bunching of compressed edges of the towels is also avoided by the angling of the roll on the rod member. The downward pulling action is properly controlled without uneven force and without excess compression. The problems of strictly horizontal and strictly vertical positioning of the paper towels are avoided with the stable and consistent angle of the apparatus of the present invention. Additionally, the attachments prevent shifting of the roll on the rod member and unraveling of the towels from the roll. The angle created by the apparatus of the present invention is maintained for the beneficial stable angle for the focused and dispersed downward pulling action on the towels to be dispensed.

The present invention also provides a stable base member with actuation of a center mounted suction means. The center position of the suction means and the stem at the center provides more stability that prior art systems with the rod member in the center position. There is also the extension of the rod member over the center of the base member, while in the angled position from the mounting portion. This stability for an angled rod member is not known in the prior art.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof. Various changes in the details of the illustrated structures, construction and method can be made without departing from the true spirit of the invention. 

I claim:
 1. An apparatus for dispensing paper towels from a roll, said apparatus comprising: a base member having a top surface; a flange member having a base portion and a mounting portion, said base portion being angled from said mounting end and made integral with said mounting portion at a bend, said base portion being attached to said top surface of said base member, said mounting end forming an angled surface so as to dispense paper towels from the roll in a downward pulling action; and a rod member, extending orthogonal from said angled surface so as to support said roll at an angle set by said angled surface.
 2. The apparatus for dispensing, according to claim 1, wherein said angled surface has a range of 5 to 60 degrees from vertical.
 3. The apparatus for dispensing, according to claim 1, wherein said flange member attaches to a periphery of said base member, said rod member extending over a center of said base member.
 4. The apparatus for dispensing, according to claim 3, wherein said rod member aligns with said base member so that downward force at a top of said rod member maintains stability of said base member.
 5. The apparatus for dispensing, according to claim 1, wherein said mounting portion of said flange member has a center point a distance apart from said bend, said distance being sufficient to fit the roll of paper towels.
 6. The apparatus for dispensing, according to claim 1, wherein said base portion is placed adjacent an edge of said base member.
 7. The apparatus for dispensing, according to claim 1, said base member having a bottom surface, said bottom surface being grounded for placement on a level surface.
 8. The apparatus for dispensing, according to claim 1, further comprising: a suction means on a bottom surface of said base member.
 9. The apparatus for dispensing, according to claim 8, said suction means being centered on said base member.
 10. The apparatus for dispensing, according to claim 8, wherein said suction means is comprised of a suction cup and a stem.
 11. The apparatus for dispensing, according to claim 8, wherein said stem extends through a hole in said base member from said bottom surface to said top surface.
 12. The apparatus for dispensing, according to claim 11, wherein said stem having a lever on an end of said stem above said top surface, said lever actuating said suction cup.
 13. The apparatus for dispensing, according to claim 11, said stem being centered on said base member.
 14. The apparatus for dispensing, according to claim 1, further comprising: holding means mounted on said rod member so at to maintain said roll relative to said rod member during a downward pulling action.
 15. The apparatus for dispensing, according to claim 14, wherein said holding means is comprised of a flexible and resilient spring.
 16. The apparatus for dispensing, according to claim 14, wherein said holding means is comprised of a plurality of flexible and resilient ribs.
 17. The apparatus for dispensing, according to claim 1, further comprising: a shielding means affixed to said angled surface of said mounting portion, said shielding means being placed on a top end of said angled surface.
 18. The apparatus for dispensing, according to claim 17, said shielding means being parallel to said rod member and spaced apart from said rod member so as to fit said roll and paper towels between said shielding means and said rod member.
 19. The apparatus for dispensing, according to claim 17, wherein said shielding means is comprised of a post member parallel to said rod member.
 20. The apparatus for dispensing, according to claim 17, wherein said shielding means is comprised of a panel with an elongated shape and width so as to partially cover said roll and paper towels when mounted on said rod member. 